Should you visit Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or Mont-Saint-Michel?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and Mont-Saint-Michel. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (usually shortened to Chamonix) is a resort area near the junction of France, Switzerland and Italy. At the base of Mont Blanc, the highest summit in the Alps, it's renowned for its skiing. Year-round, cable cars take visitors up to several nearby peaks with panoramic views, including Aiguille du Midi above town, and Pointe Helbronner, across vast glacier fields on the Italian border. Chamonix is one of the oldest ski resorts in France and is known as the "gateway to the European Cascades." With the sheer white heights of the Mont Blanc ridge as its sensational backdrop, the Chamonix Valley shows the Alps at their most dramatic. First discovered as a tourist destination by Brits William Windham and Richard Pococke in 1741, it has become a wintertime playground of epic proportions, more than satisfying the most demanding skiers as well as those who pack themselves into its boot-stomping bars. In summer, lift-accessible highland trails offer thrilling panoramas to hikers, mountain bikers and other high-altitude thrill seekers.
Mont-Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel is an island community in Normandy, France. It is located about a half of a mile (or one kilometer) off of the country's northwest coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The population of the island, at last count, was just under 50 people. The island has been a strategic fortifications since ancient times and since the 8th century AD has been the seat of the monastery from which it was named. The structural composition of the town exemplifies the feudal society that constructed it: on top, God, the abbey and monastery; below, the great halls; then stores and housing; and at the bottom, outside the walls, houses for fishermen and farmers. One of France's most recognizable landmarks, visited by more than 3 million people each year, Mont Saint-Michel and its bay are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Over 60 buildings within the commune are protected in France as historical monuments.
Which city is cheaper, Mont-Saint-Michel or Chamonix-Mont-Blanc?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is €188, while the average daily cost in Mont-Saint-Michel is €125. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and Mont-Saint-Michel in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, €144 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €72, such as in a hostel.
Mont-Saint-Michel's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is €112. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is €56.
Food
Food in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc costs travelers about €38 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
The average traveler spends about €35 per day in Mont-Saint-Michel for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc €38
Mont-Saint-Michel €35
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €32 on transportation in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc on average per day.
The average price of local transportation around Mont-Saint-Michel is €56 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Also for Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Shared Departure Transfer: Chamonix Hotels to Geneva Airport:
$48
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mont-Saint-Michel
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Mont-Saint-Michel:
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Private Transfer: Mont Saint-Michel to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG):
$1,096
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Private Transfer from Mont Saint-Michel to Rennes - Up to 7 People:
$297
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €64 per day, per person.
Mont-Saint-Michel's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €24 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Tours and Activities in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
For Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Chamonix Private Walking Tour:
$230
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7-Day Chamonix: Mont Blanc Adventure:
$1,678
Tours and Activities in Mont-Saint-Michel
Here are a few actual costs in Mont-Saint-Michel for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Private 3-hour Walking Tour of Mt St. Michel with official tour guide:
$249
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Private Mont Saint-Michel Family Walking Tour:
$391
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Private Walking Tour of Mont-St-Michel and Surroundings:
$217
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Chamonix-Mont-Blanc spend on average €7.71 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Mont-Saint-Michel may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €6.29 per day on alcoholic beverages.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and Mont-Saint-Michel, we can see that Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is more expensive. And not only is Mont-Saint-Michel much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Mont-Saint-Michel would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mont-Saint-Michel and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc than you might in Mont-Saint-Michel.
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